Resilient tire.



PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907.

L T E E. H e s T E B H s 2 7 o 9 1 .RM NRB. OIE MTF D DTE DNN... HBF IN L0 WIT. SM .E

L P P A .PATENTED DBO. 31, 1907. 1. W. HoDGsoN. RBSILIBNT TIRE.

APPLICATION FILI) FEB. 25, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ISAAC WALTER HODGSON, OF MINN UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.`

EAPOLIS, MINNESOIIMASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO PHILIP W; HERZOG, OF ST. PAUL,

MINNESOTA,

RESILIENT TIRE. l

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

- ToaZZ 'whom it may concern.'

broken away and Be it known that I, IsAAo WALTER HODGT that are formed at suitable intervals with segmental notches 7 a, the purpose of which soN, a citizen of the United States, residing l will presently a pear.

at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Tires; and I do here by declare lthe following to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will venable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

My invention relates to resilient tires such as required for use in automobile Wheels, and

has for its object to improve the same in point of efficiency, durability and cost, of mamtenance.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devicesl and combinations of devlices hereinafter described-and defined in the c aims.

In the accompanying-drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicatelike parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in-side elevation and partlyl in vertical section, showing a portion of a wheel rim and a portion of my improved tire. Fig. 2 is a detail in section taken approximately on the line ab? :t2 of Fig. 3, some parts being some arts being indicated by dotted lines only. vertical section takenon the line :c3 :c3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line :v4 m4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section on the line :c5 :v5 of Fig. 4.

Of the parts of the wheel shown, thelnu? meral l indicates the felly, the numeral 2 the spokes. To the outer portion of the felly l is rigidly secured an annular metallic 'rim 3,

which is channel-shaped in cross section and or annular rods 5( The hoops 5 are sectionedl threaded and adjustconnected by a sleeve-liketurn buckle 6 and at their en ds are ably which adapt them to be tightly--drawn into the grooves of the rim 3, to thereby firmly secure' the spring metal guard plates 4v in Working positions. The out-turned flanges of the rim 3, at their outer edges, are pro- '55 vided withinwardly eqitended stopl -ribs 7 ig. `3 is a transverse springs made to reactJ Y rigid parts against the wheel rim.

i These cage 4set to lap joints with The tire herein illustrated is especially designed to meet the requirements of very heavy service, and in` this preferred form it comprises a multiplicity 4of Ayieldingly connected tread sections, a pneumatic tube seated in the wheel rim, and a multiplicity of coiledsprings interposed between the tread sections and the said pneumatic tube. For lighter service and', in fact, what may be designated as the average service, matic tube may be dispensed with and the directly or through Describing` he'construction as illustrated, the numeral 8 indicates-the pneumatic tube which is placed within the .channel shaped rim 3. tire is lconfined Within the-said rim vby a 1I'1ult iplicity of soecalled cage plates 9, the outward movements "of which are limeited by the in-turned stop ribs 7 of the rim 3. plates 9 extend completely around the rim and :completely cage the tire Within the rim. y these plates9 may be easliy. placed in working position or removed. AWhen the tire is inliated, it is tightly pressed against the rim 3 and against the cage, Ilates 9, and-its eX- panding vmovement is 'ted,. so that the force of the air in the tire is resisted by the lieving strain.

Seated on each cage plate 9 is a spring base plate 10 that Ifits loosely within the alined .notches 7*1 of the stop rib 7. Seated oneach spring base l0 is a multi-coilspring made up of a main section 11 and supplemental section 11a. The mainspring 11 is Ilonger than the 1 pneumatic ,tube from tensile the supplemental -spring 11a.

When'the tire is deflated,

v,the pneu- `rim 3 and plates 9, thereby very greatly re- The yieldingly connected tread sections 12 y are 1n number equal to the number of multicoil springs and, hence, also equalfin number to the number of base' plates 10, but they are the saidA base plates l0, and so that the joints between the said sections are located inaXial alinement Iwith `the respective springs. These tread sections 12 are, ofcourse, of metal, and they may be made either ofcast steel, malleable iron, or of vdrop forged steel or iron. The main ysprings l1 are normally compressedbetween lthe respective base plates4 10'and` the abut'- Cdn ' tread sections together against endwise sepkeep the outer end s .of the ting ends of two tread vsectionsl2, and at their. abutting ends the lsaid tread sections are `formed with segmental bosses -l-that telescope into the outer ends of the alined main s rings 11, and they arealso preferably. forme with .ccncentrically located smallerv segmental bosses 13a that telescopeinto lthe outer ends of the supplemental springsv 11d.

These lbossesl and lahold the springs 11 and 11a in proper-concentric positions, and as .each spring embraces the segmental bosses of two adjacent` tread sections, the

said springs are caused to assist in locking the eration, and the said bosses, as is levident,

spaced apart.

The tread sections are yieldlngly connectedand the' outward thrust of the springs is vresisted preferably by two pairs of endless thrust hoops 'or metal bands 14 and 15; The

thrust hoops 14 are seated in in-turned' hooklilre side portions 1 6 of the tread plates 12, and are adapted to be placed inwerking position and removed by lateral movements through openings 16a formed'between the ends of the liooksl and the bodies of the said tread and placed in working position through censections. The thrust hoops f1.5 are shown as flatl in. cross sectionv and they` are placed within seats 17 formed within the tread sections 12, just above' theirv segmental bosses 1 3. These hoops are adapted to .be removed tral passages 17 a formed between theY seg-I mental bosses 13 of the said tread plates. v 1f desired, the hoops 14.*15 may be provided i v with means for adjustment, such, for instance, vas the turn buckles 6, shown as ap'- plied to the clamping vrods or hoops. v Pref- -frictionally againstv the inner surfaces of the erably, each tread section 12 is`provided with a multiplicity of rubber ca'lks 18. se't into, but projecting from, seats formed in the outer faces thereof,` as best shown in Fig. 4.

The outerfedge's of the guard plates 4 bear hook-likeside portion 16 of the ytread sections, and thus inclose the springs and protect the same from dirtanddust without,

however, in 'any Way interfering with the yielding movements ofthe tread sections.

- I also rovide simple and eflicient means which ma es it possible to easily and quickly through 'holes 21vformed inp'art in the [abut-A vtlng ends of eachv of t`wc treadl sections-=4 65 assemble the springs and' tread sections and other parts of the resilient tire. .This means comprises a v'multiplicity of short rods or bolts 19'that are 'threaded at bothjends and rovided at one end each with a nut 20.;- he threaded inner endsV of these bolts are adapted .to be screwed into threadedhubsj 10of thespring bases 1.0, .and the enter endsV of said :bolts are adapted top be. passed When the bolts are thus applied andthe nuts Springs properly 20 are tighened,'the` springs may be .compressed to vany desired exten-t, so that the applied in working position' or removed therefrom. i' When the parts are assembled and the alwaysl under initial compression, but the supplemental springs 11a are brought into action and compressed only when the -cooperating main springsll have been' combosses..13 of` .the-tread sections vto engage charged with air under such'high compression that it will ac tl substantially asa solid -base of resistanceuntil the springs have been compressed solid. vtherwise stated, the said pneumatic tube or air cushion `isin-. tended -to afford a reserved resilience which silience to the tire.

With lthe arrangement of. springs and conpneumatic cushion, very great resilience is no one spring can be compressed without 'compressingto a greater-or less e'Xtent,- 'a` .number .of springs in both directions from great importance Vin the 4practical operation of the ,tirer formed with internal-cavities that. are-'adaptinthe undercut seats in the ','retallic tread and forced into said seats and onto the. body.

applied, the calksand "the rubber l lling .Will'be firmly held in working'position.

mightbein the form of a'wire cablel or link chain. Their primary function is .to4resist fthe outwardpressure ofthe springsan-d to yieldinglyconnect. the tread sections.`

What [claim is:

of yieldingly..I connectedtread sections, and'.

tread .sectiqns-.arrfanged-tccyerlapithe joints wheel ready for use, the main springs 11 are willbe brought into action under extreme pressure and thereby not'only prevent breaking of thesprings, but give an increased reafforded, and the arrangement ia such that of crude or `soiftfru'bber'- 18,.whi cl1 latter`v` must, of course, be placed in the ipockets'in advance of the. .calks After .they are .thus

blocks. 18?l are preferably vulcanized toa-l moderatezdegree of hardness, `.sojthat they lThe so-called thrust hoops,- while preferably in the form of spring -ro ds,fmay, never- Y vtheless, ,take '.many different forms, and' '/:f a resilientftire, lthe combination"with. za 1 im,jof a tread madeupfofa multiplicity' .splines interposed#between-said V- rim .and

thrust hoops 14 and 1 5 mayfthen be evenly"4 pressed far enough tocause the'segmentalv l `theouter.ends of' said supplemental springs l. v.`

The pneumatic tube4 whenused should be 80 nections above described, irrespective of the sections 112, their rims vare puckered together. 1170i between the tread sections, and having interlockingv engagement at their outer ends with the adjacent ends of said tread sections, sub# stantially as described.

2. In a resilient tire, the combination with a rim, a tread made up of a multiplicity of metallic tre'ad sections, a thrust hoop yieldingly connectingthe said tread sections, and coiled springs interposed between said rim Aand tread, the Outer ends of which springs a rim, of a tread made upot a multiplicity of yieldingly connected metallic sections, and

' multi-coilvsprings interposedbetween said rim and the tread sections, the main coils of which springs are under initial com ression, and the supplemental coils of whic are arranged to be compressed only after said tread sections have been given forced inward move ment, substantiallyas described. A

4. In aresilient tire, the combination with a rim, of a tread made up of a multiplicity ofyieldingly connected metallic tread sections having projecting supplemental bosses at their abutting ends, and multi-coil springs interposed between said rim and the said tread sections, and into the outer ends of the coils of which the supplemental bosses of said tread' sections are telescoped, substantially as described.

5. In a resilient tire, the combination with a rim, of a tread made up of a multiplicity of metallic tread sections, laterally spaced thrust hoops engaging laterally open seats in the sides of the said tread sections, springs interposed between said rim and the tread sections, and holding said thrust hoops interlocked with the open seats of said tread sections, `and annular guard plates locked to the side flanges of said rim and frictionally engaging the seat forming side portions of said tread sections, substantially as described. j

6. In a resilient tire, the combination with a rim, of a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected metallic sections, springs interposed between said rim and .tread s ections, annular guard plates seated in the grooves in the side flanges of said rim, and frictionally engaging the side ort'ions of s'aid tread sections, and endwise a justable annular clamping rods or bands also seated in the grooves of said ri'm and holdingthe said guard plates interlocked therewith, substan- 'tially as described.

7. Ina resilient tire, the combination with a rim, of a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected tread sections, spring base plates seated in said rim, coiled springs sections, and means for drawing the intelposed between said base plates and. 66 trea said base plates outward or toward said tread sections, and against the tension of the said springs, for the purpose of applying and removal of the tread and springs to and from said rim, substantially as described.

8. In a resilient tire, the combination with a'channel-shaped rim, of a tread'made up of a multiplicity of metal sections, means detachably interlocked with said tread sections and yieldingly connecting. the same, base plates seated in said rim, coiled springs interposed between said base plates and tread sections, and draw bolts detachably securable to said base plates at their inner ends and provided with nuts at their outer ends arranged to react against said tread sections, to thereby draw the said base plates outward and compress the springs, for the purpose of applying and removal of the tread and springs. to. and from saidv rim, substantially as described.

9: In a resilient tire, the combination with Aa channel-shaped rim, of a -pneumatic'tube seated in the channel of said rim, spring base plates alsov seated in the channel of said rim and engaging the outer portion of said pneumatic tube7 a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected metallic sections, and coiled springs interposed between said base plates and tread sections, substantially as described.

10. In a resilient tire, the combination with aIchannel-shaped rim having lock ribs extended inwardly'from its flanges, of a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected metallic sections, a pneumatic tube seated in the channel of said rim, cage lates engaging the said pneumatic tubes an held in ,the channel of said rim by the inturned lock ribs thereof, spring bases loosely seated on said cage plates, and coiled springs inter. posed between said spring bases and the said tread sections, substantially as described.

. 11.-- In a resilient tire, the combination with a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected tread sections, radially disposed coiled springs overlappingthey joints between the tread sections and having interlocking'engagement therewith at their outer ends, and means operative on the inner ends of said springs and onl said tread sections, for compressing said springs, whereby when the said springs lare compressed the tire may be. applied to a wheel or removed therefrom, and the said tread sections will be held coupled together, substantiallyas described. 12v In a resilient tire, the combination with a tread made up of a multiplicity of yieldingly connected tread sections, radially disposed coiled springs overlapping the joints between said tread sections and having interlocking engagement therewith at their outer ends, base plates applied to the inner ends of said springs, and draw bolts detachably applicable to said base plates and tread sections, for Adrawing said base plates toward In testimony whereof I aix my signature` said tread sections and thereby compressing in presence of tWo Witnesses.

said springs, so that the tire may be a lied to or removed from a Wheel and thgpsad ISAAC WALTER HODGSON' treadl sections will be held lcoupledtogether Witnesses: y when the said tire is removed, substantially MALIE HOEL, as described. `F. DMERCHANT. 

